Highlights

DJ Diamond“Randomness”

Ever since the release of Flight Muzik (TMT Review) in August, DJ Diamond seemed to be straying away from the footwork sound. First, there was a track called “Lab Rat,” which sought to combine “grime, experimental, dubstep, acid house, electronica, and footwork all in one,” and soon after there was “What You Want,” Diamond’s take on trip-hop. But today he released a new footwork track called “Randomness,” and it’s fucking freaky. Check it out here:

“Rubio” [demo]

Despite rebounding phenom Kevin Love proving he wasn’t just a pretty good player on a shit team, last year was a terrible year for the Minnesota Timberwolves. A big part of the problem was the point guard position: we had Jonny Flynn and Luke Ridnour, but both of them were better at turning over the ball than at creating plays. But this year, like a Spanish angel descending from the heavens, 21-year-old Ricky Rubio (and his beautiful brown hair) has finally made his way from Barcelona to Minneapolis. Sure, our current record’s at 3 wins, 5 losses; we’re the last in our division; and we’re near the bottom of our conference. But Rubio, who’s currently coming off the bench, has already shown how amazing he can be when given a chance.

Daniel Lopatin, who also sports beautiful brown hair, has likewise shown how amazing he can be when given a chance. And today, the two phenoms collide, as Lopatin posted a demo version of a song that is, no shit, dedicated to Rubio. It’s called “Rubio.” Check it out here:

“Your Dark Sunglasses Won’t Make You Lou Reed”

Although they call me Kmmy, I ain’t no chick. That being said, I would like to shamelessly announce that I am madly in love with Bill Baird. The activist, you ask? No. The football player? Noooo. The puppeteer? Ummm… no. My favorite Bill Baird is the least significant of all Bill Bairds according to Wikipedia, but is significant as fuck when it comes to my iTunes. Why am I so infatuated with this man? Maybe it’s because he is a total babe. Or maybe it’s because he can play any style of music better than most can play one, and always manages to make it seem completely effortless.

Baird, who is the brain behind the band Sunset, is set to release yet another record this March, and again, it has a whole new sound. In August, Bill went on a hopelessly romantic acoustic venture and made the heartwarming and gentle Goodbye Vibrations, which was essentially a bunch of variations on the same song with different lyrics. Not long after that, he released a lovely instrumental single called “Analog,” a driving psychedelic trip, completely different than anything on Vibrations. Back in 2010, Baird released a hushed, nearly ambient record called Silence! along with one of the best rock records of the year — with Sunset — titled Loveshines but the Moon is Shining Too.

This new one, called Career, is scuzzed out to the max and finds Baird in a darker, rougher place than ever. On his Bandcamp, two tracks from the upcoming album are waiting for you to indulge in. One of them is one of the lesser-scuzzed tracks “Your Dark Sunglasses Won’t Make You Lou Reed,” explaining that no one is as cool as Reed or any of the original Velvet Underground fellas for that matter. Though, I would say Mr. Baird is pretty damn close himself.

At the Mudlark Public Theatre

Bhob Rainey, quiet minimalist abstract improvisational saxophonist (who recently released his Manual, which you can find here), collaborated with noisy punk-jazz legend Weasel Walter at the Mudlark Public Theatre. Stranger things have happened! The sharp audible contrast you may be imagining is far from the result of the duo’s improv session, however, so calm the hell down. The music is simultaneously sparse and hyperactively tense, both loose and taught, but overall fantastic. The successful dynamic was captured to tape, and since Rainey was full of Christmas cheer last month, he posted it on the webz for all you kiddies.

“Black and Red”

After having just released a new track titled “GTA Suicide” last Friday, James Ferraro is back with his BEBETUNE$$$ moniker and another new song, this one titled “Black and Red.” The track combines infraredpunk with flamethrowerpunk and a little liquidmetalpunk for good measure. Listen carefully and you’ll hear a little bladepunk, too.